Understanding Suicide

By knowing the warning signs, you can help prevent a suicide.

If you are in crisis or need immediate assistance, please call our Contact Center which is staffed 24/7 at 800.678.5500.

Suicide has been on the rise in recent years and is now the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. More troubling, suicide is currently the 2nd leading cause of death for teens and young adults, and an estimated one million suicide attempts are made each year in our country.

In the recent past, suicide – like cancer – was not talked about. However, we now know that conversation leads to better awareness, dispelling the myths around suicide and greatly increasing the chances of preventing suicide.

Risk Factors

Although anyone could contemplate or attempt suicide, certain factors put some people at higher risk. Mental health conditions top the list with an estimated 90% of suicide victims having a potentially treatable mental health condition (although all may not have been diagnosed or treated) including:

Depression – it is estimated 2 out of 3 victims of suicide had depression

Prolonged exposure to stress factors such as harassment, bullying, relationship difficulties and unemployment

It’s important to remember that these factors do not cause suicide, only heighten the risk.

Warning Signs of Suicide

We now know that most people who end their lives exhibit warning signs through their behavior or what they say. Most will show at least one or two of the following signs, but could exhibit more.

Talking or writing about:

Wanting to die

Killing themselves

Feeling hopeless or trapped

Having no reason to live

Being in unbearable pain

Fearing they are a burden to others

New or changes in behavior:

Searching for a way to end their life, such as stocking pills, looking to buy a gun, etc.

Increased use of alcohol or drugs

Giving away prized possessions

Visiting or posting goodbyes

Sleeping too little or too much

Isolating from friends and family

Withdrawing from activities

Acting recklessly or aggressively

Talking to Someone About Suicide

Suspecting or learning a friend or loved one is contemplating suicide can be overwhelming and frightening. However, talking to them is the first step in preventing suicide. Some talking tips include:

Don’t wait for them to bring up the topic

Ask direct questions in a sensitive way

Show genuine concern

Don’t be judgmental

Never act shocked by what they might express to you

Let them know you understand it may seem there is no other way out of their pain, but that suicide is never the answer, treatment does exist and you will support them in seeking the help they need.

Ask if they have thought about how they would carry out a suicide. If they are able to give you a specific plan, DO NOT LEAVE THEM ALONE and do whatever you can to remove items like firearms, pills or other drugs, razor blades, extension cords – anything they could use to seriously hurt or kill themselves.

If you can, take them to a doctor, mental health professional, hospital ER or call 911.

Other social media sites may offer similar reporting features. The best way to find those features is to use the social media site’s search function and search for the terms “suicide” or “self-harm.”

How Pine Rest Can Help

Our psychiatric hospital provides a safe environment for persons at risk or who have attempted or are threatening suicide. Our highly trained and compassionate staff includes psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, social workers, chaplains and more. Crisis stabilization is the goal for those entering the program, followed by the development of an individualized after-care plan.

Once the crisis has passed, we offer continuing support to help address the issues that led to suicidal thoughts or attempts. These include short-term intensive daily treatment on our campus as well as outpatient counseling, individual therapy and group therapy.

If You Have Lost Someone to Suicide. Grieving the loss of someone who has lost their life to suicide is a difficult and complicated process fraught with feelings of sadness, guilt, anger and frustration. We provide professional grief counseling to help you work through your grief and loss and can also connect you to a support group where survivors benefit from sharing their experiences with others.

One of the reasons suicide is so tragic is that it is a stark reminder of just how connected we all are to one another. The void left when someone dies by suicide is unlike anything else. The impact ripples…

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. That’s about 123 individuals each day. And for every death there are 25 attempts. The financial cost is a staggering $69 billion annually.1 The cost of life as well...

As we’ve heard recently in the news, suicide rates have increased 30 percent since 2000. In order to stem this tide, we all need to know more about why and when to be on alert and then what action to take, because knowing the warnings signs and what to do if you notice them can help you save the life of a loved one, friend, co-worker or employee.